As Bruce Springsteen prepared to release the lavish boxed set The Promise: The Darkness on the Edge of Town Story , he sat down with Rolling Stone senior writer Brian Hiatt to look back on the personal trials and artistic struggles that led to his hardest-rocking record ever. To read the full Q&A, check out the new issue of Rolling Stone, on stands and in our online archives on Friday. In the meantime, check out these exclusive audio clips, in which Springsteen opens up on his relationship with his father, his life as “an alienated person by nature” and more.